Turkey – General info

Turkey – General information

Area: 779,452 km²

Population: around 85 to 86 million (as of 2025/26) – significantly more than the previously mentioned 68 million.

Capital: Ankara (the largest city in the country, however, remains Istanbul with around 15–16 million inhabitants in the metropolitan area).

Geography: The Republic of Turkey borders Greece, Bulgaria and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, the Black Sea to the north and Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Iraq and Syria to the east. The Asian part of Turkey with Anatolia and Asia Minor covers around 97% of the country’s area.

Holiday destinations: The most popular holiday destinations remain Izmir, Bodrum, Kemer, Antalya, Belek, Side and Alanya on the west and south coasts of the country.

Language: The national language is Turkish. German is still quite widespread, especially in the tourist centres – not least because of the close historical connections and the large community of Turkish origin in Germany.

Health: There are no compulsory vaccinations for entry. Caution is still advised when eating uncooked food; tap water and ice cubes in drinks and ice cream should be avoided. In some rural areas in the southeast of the country, malaria still occurs sporadically, but the Turkish Mediterranean coast is still considered malaria-free.

Religion: Predominantly Islamic, alongside Christian and Jewish minorities.

Local time: Since 2016, Turkey no longer participates in the daylight saving time change, remaining at CET + 2 (Turkey Time, UTC+3) all year round – an important update from the previous seasonal arrangement (CET+1 in winter, CET+2 in summer).

Voltage: 220V, 50Hz.

Currency: Turkish lira (TRY), 1 lira = 100 kuruş. Important note: The former name “New Turkish Lira (YTL)” was only in circulation between 2005 and 2008; since 2009, the currency has officially been called “Turkish Lira” again. Due to persistently high inflation in recent years, the lira has lost considerable value – the exchange rate is around 50 TRY per euro as of 2026. Travelers should check the current exchange rate before departure, as it can continue to change noticeably.

Credit cards: Common credit cards such as Visa, Mastercard and American Express are still widely accepted; Card payment is even more common today than it used to be, and cash can also be withdrawn from many ATMs with German debit cards (Girocard), although Turkish banks usually charge a non-refundable fee for this.

Embassy in Ankara: Germany: Atatürk Bulvarı 114, Ankara. Current contact details should be checked on the website of the Federal Foreign Office before traveling, as telephone numbers change occasionally.

Entry: German citizens still only need a valid identity card or passport for a stay of up to 90 days within 180 days – visa-free entry is therefore still possible, this part of the original article was surprisingly still up-to-date. If you enter by car, a valid passport is also required, as the vehicle is entered in the passport. Important: The previous practice of establishing a new 90-day period by a one-day departure (e.g. to Greece) is no longer possible – this important change was missing in the original. In addition, the exemption from the visa requirement does not grant an absolute right of entry; German nationals may also be affected by entry bans in individual cases.

Photos: Photographing military installations is still strictly prohibited.

Holidays: The official holidays mentioned are still valid: January 1 (New Year’s Day), April 23 (National Sovereignty and Children’s Day), May 19 (Commemoration, Youth and Sports Day), August 30 (Victory Day), October 29 (Republic Day). In addition, the religious holidays Ramazan Bayramı (Sugar Festival) and Kurban Bayramı (Feast of Sacrifice) should be mentioned, the dates of which shift annually according to the Islamic lunar calendar and during which many shops and authorities remain closed.

Turkey – Politics (completely missing in the original)

Form of government: Presidential republic. With the constitutional referendum of 2017 and its full entry into force in 2018, the parliamentary system of government was replaced by a presidential system of government, which significantly expanded the powers of the presidential office and abolished the office of prime minister.

Current president: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, continuously at the head of state since 2003 (first as prime minister, since 2014 as president, since 2018 with extended presidential powers), most recently re-elected in 2023 in a run-off election. Erdoğan and his AKP have thus been shaping Turkish politics for over two decades.

Important current addition – the earthquake of February 6, 2023: On the night of February 6, 2023, two severe earthquakes (magnitude 7.7 and 7.6) shook southeastern Turkey near the border with Syria, with its epicenter in Kahramanmaraş province. With over 50,000 fatalities on the Turkish side alone, it is one of the most serious earthquakes in recent history; large parts of several provinces were devastated. Reconstruction is still not complete three years later, even though several hundred thousand new housing units have already been completed, according to government figures. The affected region is off the main tourist routes on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, so the classic holiday destinations were not directly affected by the event – nevertheless, it is a central chapter of recent Turkish history that should not be missing in a current country article.

Turkey – Climate

Climate in the north of Turkey: The north has a pleasant, balanced climate with warm summers and mild winters, combined with frequent rainfall.

Climate in the eastern part of Turkey: It rains more in the east than in the western part of the Black Sea coast.

West & South of Turkey: It has a Mediterranean climate with long, hot summers and mild winters. The further south you go, the higher the air and water temperature rise. The rainiest months on the Turkish Riviera are November to February. In Antalya, Alanya, Side, Kemer, Belek, Marmaris, Bodrum, Fethiye and Kuşadası there is pleasant holiday weather practically all year round.

Central & Eastern Turkey: There are hot, dry summers and snowy, cold winters here.

Best time to travel: Since the coastal areas in the west and south in particular get very hot in July and August, May, June, September and October are considered the best time to travel. On the Turkish Riviera near Antalya, it is usually pleasant even outside these months.

Turkey – Fauna

Turkey is rich in livestock – especially cattle, horses, buffaloes, sheep and goats are represented here in large numbers. The camel population, on the other hand, continues to decline; the camel is hardly used as a porter today.

Small game species and wild boars can be found throughout the country, whose populations are continuously declining due to intensive hunting. Predators continue to include brown bears, wolves, jackals and lynxes.

Numerous bird species winter in Turkey; Kuşcenneti National Park (Bird Paradise National Park) on Lake Manyas is known as an important bird sanctuary, with pelicans, storks, cormorants, wild ducks and pheasants.

Turkey – Flora

Around 36% of Turkey’s total area is used for agriculture, and about 26–29% of the country’s area is forested.

In the east of Turkey, the flora is most diverse; in the plateaus there are countless species of wildflowers. Shrubs, coniferous forests and black pines grow in the steppe regions, and thistles and cacti in drier areas.

In the north of the country and on the Black Sea coast, there are extensive plantations with hazelnut, corn and tea cultivation. The south of Turkey is more characterized by fruit and cotton plantations; there are also evergreen hedges, shrubs, oaks, olive trees and carob trees.

Turkey – History

10,000 BC: Nomadic tribes explore the land and leave behind cave paintings.

3,000 BC: The first permanent settlements emerge, including ancient Troy, one of the oldest cities of this period.

1,500 BC: Greek tribes establish settlements on the Turkish Aegean coast; trade between the Greek colonies and Greece develops.

500 BC: The Persians conquer coastal cities on the Mediterranean.

334 BC: Asia Minor is conquered by Alexander the Great.

around 200 BC: The Romans conquer the southern coast of Turkey and take over the country’s economy and culture; temples, aqueducts, roads, baths and theatres are built.

330 AD: Byzantium is renamed Constantinople (later Istanbul) and becomes the capital of the (Eastern) Roman Empire; Christianity spreads.

11th to 15th centuries: Islamic Turkic tribes conquer parts of the Eastern Roman Empire; the Ottomans increasingly gain influence and power.

17th century: The Ottoman Empire loses power due to various wars.

1914–1918: In the First World War, the Ottoman Empire stood by Germany and Austria-Hungary; after the defeat, territories had to be ceded to the Allies.

1919–1922: Mustafa Kemal (“Atatürk”) organizes the resistance; the occupying powers are defeated.

1923–1938: Atatürk establishes the Turkish Republic and implements far-reaching reforms that bring the country culturally closer to Western European standards. Atatürk dies in 1938.

1939–1945: During the Second World War, Turkey remained neutral until shortly before the end of the war.

1960–1980: Several military coups lead to changing power relations.

1983: New elections herald an economic upswing; tourism increasingly developed into an important economic factor.

1984: The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) begins its armed struggle for Kurdish autonomy, combined with terrorist attacks.

1987: First efforts to achieve EU membership for Turkey.

1990: In the Gulf War, Turkey acts as an important NATO partner in the region.

Continuation of the story to the present day – missing in the original:

1999: A severe earthquake in the Marmara region (magnitude 7.4, epicenter İzmit) claims around 17,000 lives – until the earthquake of 2023 the most serious in recent Turkish history.

2002: After the collapse of the previous governing coalition and a severe economic crisis, the newly founded AKP under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wins the early elections; Erdoğan first becomes prime minister and has since shaped Turkish politics without interruption.

2005: Start of official EU accession negotiations, which have since become largely deadlocked and have now come to a virtual standstill.

2016: A coup attempt by parts of the military against the Erdoğan government fails in the night of 15 to 16 July; as a result, the government declares a state of emergency and has thousands of suspected government opponents in the judiciary, military, education and media dismissed or imprisoned.

2017/2018: A constitutional referendum initiates the transition from a parliamentary to a presidential system of government, which will come into full force with the 2018 elections and significantly strengthen the powers of the presidential office.

6 February 2023: Two severe earthquakes in the south-east of the country claim over 50,000 lives (see chapter “Politics” above for details).

May 2023: Erdoğan wins the presidential run-off election against opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu with around 52% of the vote and thus remains president.

The Turkish economy has also gone through a period of particularly high inflation in recent years, at times exceeding 60-80% per year, significantly reducing the lira’s purchasing power; since 2023, the Turkish central bank has been pursuing a course of monetary policy tightening to bring inflation back under control.

Turkey – Food & Drink

Visitors to Turkey will find a varied preparation of vegetables – fresh vegetables are particularly important in Turkish cuisine. Vegetable dishes are prepared pure or together with meat.

Vegetables are also stuffed with rice and minced meat (dolma) or eaten cold with olive oil. In addition, lamb, veal, beef and chicken are offered; devout Muslims do not eat pork.

For breakfast there is tea or thin coffee as well as sweet pastries or white bread with tomatoes, cucumbers, sheep’s cheese or yoghurt, sometimes with Turkish honey.

Mezeler – the appetizers: Visitors who come to Turkey for the first time are often surprised by the variety of small dishes served on large trays with many small plates.

Dolmas are stuffed peppers with rice, currants and pine nuts wrapped in vine leaves. Humus is a spicy paste made from chickpeas. Cigara börek are rolls of dough filled with white cheese and parsley; there are also zucchini pancakes and baked zucchini flowers.

Dönerkebab: Slices of meat are cut off on a rotating skewer and served with raw onions and salad in pide (sliced flatbread).

Gözleme: A thin pancake reminiscent of crêpes, baked on a domed tray and usually filled with a mixture of sheep’s cheese and parsley.

Lahmacun: A mixture of pizza and tortilla – thinly spread, spicy minced meat on dough.

Drinks

Ayran: A lightly salted yoghurt drink diluted with a little water, served chilled and very refreshing on hot days.

Raki: A 45% clear anise schnapps, which is usually diluted with about two-thirds water at the table and becomes milky cloudy – hence also called “Aslan Sütü” (lion’s milk). Drunk with appetizers, fish and meat; the toast is “Şerefe” (for well-being).

Tea (çay): Offered on practically every occasion, whether shopping in the shop or at the bazaar.

Coffee: Turkish coffee is traditionally prepared in cezve (pot with a stick), where coffee powder is boiled with water and sugar over a low flame. It is served in small mocha cups in three variants: sade (unsweetened), orta (medium) and şekerli (sweet).

Turkish Dictionary:

Appetite – iştah · Apple – elma · Apple juice – elma suyu · Orange – portakal · Orange juice – portakal suyu · Artichoke – enginar · Ayran – ayran · Baklava – baklava · Beer – bira · I’m full – doydum · Pear – poverty · Börek – börek · Beans – fasülye · Beans with meat – etli kuru fasülye · Bread – ekmek · Bulgur – bulgur · Bulgur rice – bulgur pilavı · Butter – tereyağ · Cacık – cacık · Döner – döner · Egg – yumurta · Ice (ice cubes) – buz · Ice (ice cream) – dondurma · Pea – bezelye · Peanut – fıstık · Food – yemek · Vinegar – sirke · Fish – balık · Meat – et · Fresh – taze · Fruit juice – meyve suyu · Breakfast – kahvaltı · Breakfast room – kahvaltı salonu · Fork – çatal · Fried peppers – biber kızartması · Stuffed peppers – biber dolması · Stuffed – dolma · Boiled – haşlama · Boiled rice – pilav · Mixed ice cream – karışık dondurma · Drink – içki · Spice – baharat · Grill – mangal · Hare – tavşan · Honey – bal · Cheese – peynir · Coffee – kahve · Veal – dana · Potato soup – patates çorbası · Garlic – sarımsak · Cabbage – lahana · Lettuce – marul salatası · Cake – pasta · Kitchen – mutfak · Cow – inek · Lamb chops – pirzola · Lemonade – limonata · Lokum – lokum · Jam – reçel · Menemen – menemen · Lentil soup – mercimek çorbası · Knife – bıçak · Butcher – kasap · Milk – süt · Mineral water – maggot suyu · With milk – sütlü · With paprika – biberli · With sugar – şekerli · Mus – ezme · Mussels – midye · Not fresh – bayat · Noodles – makarna · Fruit – meyve · Olive – zeytin · Parsley – maydonoz · Peach – şeftali · Plum – erik · Mushroom – mantar · Leek – pırasa · Cheers – şerefe · Pur – sade · Turkey – hindi · Raki – rakı · Ravioli – mantı · Beef – sığır · Red wine – kırmızı şarap · Salad – salata · Sour – ekşi · Spicy – acı · Tastes good – lezzetli · Schnitzel – biftek · Mustard – hardal · Simit – simit · Spinach – ıspanak · Sweet – tatlı · Cup – fincan · Dough – hamur · Plate – tobacco · Tomato salad – domates salatası · Watermelon – karpuz · Wine – şarap · White cheese – beyaz peynir · White wine – beyaz şarap · Sausage – sucuk · Sugar – şeker · Onion – soğan

Note: All information on population figures, exchange rates, political offices and entry requirements is subject to change and has been researched to the best of our knowledge as of August 2026. For up-to-date, binding information, it is advisable to take a look at the travel and security advice of the Federal Foreign Office before travelling.